Flowers are starting to bloom across the neighborhood and the cherry blossom watch has begun at the University – UW Cherry Blossoms Update. Sara Shores, the University of Washington arborist says that they are likely to reach their full bloom the weekend of March 30th. The next few weeks will be a great time to take a bike ride over to the Quad and check them out. They are not to be missed! Take a live look at the Quad here, see the latest update on @UWCherryBlossom.
Another great local resource for edible spring plantings is Urban Earth Nursery located at 1051 N 35th Street just off Stone Way on the way to Fremont. I took a recent trip to check out what they had in store as their street level sandwich board caught my eye – Plants and a sense of humor!
This store is a great source of edible plants suited for urban gardens. They carry a wide variety of herbs and a smaller selection of fruiting plants. They also have many types of edible garden seeds to choose from, as well as potting soil and fertilizers to get you started with springtime container or raised bed gardening. I also noticed many native ferns, grasses, and flowers around the nursery as well as succulents, cacti and other indoor plants.
Their team also hosts two classes per month with topics ranging from pollinator gardens (upcoming on April 3rd) managing pests and diseases (June 5th) edible gardening information (June 16th) and planting a cocktail garden (July 21st). The manager told me that these two hour classes and interactive and fun with snacks and libations typically offered. Interested participants can sign up at www.urbanearthnursery.com.